We are conducting surveys, monitoring, and research on cougars (puma, mountain lion) on the Ladder Ranch in south-central New Mexico. Here, cougars are of particular interest given their effects on state-endangered desert bighorn sheep and other valuable big game. These projects are also resources for training and education, most notably through the Cougar Field Workshop.

Sunday, October 04, 2009

On October first, the first day of lion trapping, we were pleased to find that LF1 had made a fresh Mule Deer (Odocoileus hemionus) kill the night before. The Furman Wild Semester 2009 class helped carry a cage trap up to the kill and set up what was to be a VERY successful lion trap! Below are photos of the trap set-up and the night of the lion capture.

We used the large box cage trap for this capture because we had acclimated LF1 to its use over the summer by setting it up in the same way. By knowing her GPS locations we were able to find the kill and put it in the trap, making the chance of her returning and successfully being captured very high.

LF1 returned to the kill and approached the trap late in the evening, at 9:58 PM.

By 9:59PM she had entered and triggered the trap. There were many photos of her in the trap, but this one of her eating the kill while in the trap shows that she was at least calm enough to think about a snack.

By 12:05AM LF1 had been processed, re-collared, was waking up from the tranquilization, and about to be on her way.